CDC Shows Data Revealing Racial Disparities in Breast Cancer

Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- African American women are dying from breast cancer more than any other ethnic or racial group, according to a report released by the Centers for Disease Control on Wednesday.

Although deaths from breast cancer have been on a general decline since the 1990’s, this trend has not been seen as much with African American women, federal health officials say.

The report revealed for every 100 cases of breast cancer, 9 more black women are afflicted than white women, and that black women are more likely to have the cancer at an advanced stage when they are diagnosed than white women.

“As a public health leader and a women, I find these disparities unacceptable,” said Dr. Ileana Arias, Deputy Director for CDC.

Experts say that the problem may lie beyond diagnoses processes; as a surprising statistic shows that the rate of screening mammograms among black women and white women are very similar-- 73 and 74 percent, respectively. The CDC suggests that the discrepancies may lie with regards to the quality of follow up care.